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Pedego Electric Bikes Names Top 2018 Dealers at Its 10th Annual Pedego Dealer Meeting in December

December 12, 2018

Pedego Irvine Named U.S. Dealer of the Year Pedego Canada Named Distributor of the Year FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 13, 2018 — Pedego® Electric Bikes, the Number 1 electric bike brand in the United States, has announced the winners of its “Top Dealers” awards for 2018 at its 10th Annual Pedego Dealer Meeting held December […]

Pedego Electric Bikes Celebrates a Decade of Boldly Redefining Fun

December 5, 2018

Pedego is the nation’s Number 1 electric bike company FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 5, 2018 — Pedego® Electric Bikes is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As the Number 1 electric bike brand, Pedego has spent a decade boldly redefining fun for the thousands of Pedego customers who are empowered to discover the joys of riding an […]

Lose Weight & Get Fit — Cycling can burn up to 500 calories per hour, helping cyclists lose or control their weight while improving their fitness.

Reduce Risk of Disease — Cycling can help reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol and can even help fight cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In fact, studies indicate that riding 20 miles per week may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 50 percent.

Look and Feel 10 Years Younger — Studies have shown that regular cyclists enjoy the general health of someone approximately 10 years younger.

Move Ahead of the Pack — Commuting by electric bicycle is one of the easiest ways to fit exercise into your daily routine because it doubles as transportation while still allowing you to arrive at work fresh and not sweaty — plus, it’s green. And fun!

BENEFItTS OF COMMUTING TO WORK ON AN ELECTRIC BIKE

No Sweat. Whether commuting to work or school, bicycle commuters have always had to worry about arriving hot and sweaty. On an electric bike, they can control their workouts and arrive at their destinations cool, energetic and ready to roar into action.

Rock Star Parking. Electric bike commuters leave parking hassles behind as they pull right up to the front door. Employees and college students who have paid high fees to circle the parking lot in their cars are no match for a rider who rockets past and arrives on time — and under budget.

Zip Around Traffic. On an electric bike, riders can literally ride around traffic jams, often arriving at their destinations faster than they would in a car.

Green Machine. Not only do electric bike commuters say good-bye to gas stations and traffic, they’re also doing their part to combat greenhouse emissions in the fight against global climate change.

Amazingly Affordable. With no DMV, no gas stations, no car insurance and no car payment, Pedego riders discover a huge savings at the end of every month — while loving the ride the entire time.

Exercise Disguised as Fun. Some riders like to use more motor on the way in to work to stay cool and then use less motor and more exercise on the way home. Electric cycling is a great workout, burning up to 500 calories per hour, and it works out your day’s frustrations and stresses.
are amazing bike paths in most cities that take cyclists off the roads and along scenic routes.

PEDEGO TOURS & RENTALS

Rentals – Bikes are available from $20 per hour ($75 per day) making it a fun way to try out bike models for extended times and an affordable way to treat family and friends.

Tours – Many Pedego dealers also offer guided tours that are fun for locals and visitors alike. Pedego stores all over the world offer guided tours including France, Italy, Mexico, Canada and at stores throughout the U.S.

FOUNDERS

FUN, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY

When Don DiCostanzo first meets people, he often asks, “Are you looking for fun, or are you looking for trouble?” If the answer is “trouble,” he replies, “We’re all out of that, but we have plenty of fun!” This one exchange sums up a lot about Don’s fun-loving personality. While he’s an experienced and savvy businessman, he is also a happy family man whose lifelong friendship with partner Terry Sherry led to the creation of Pedego — where the motto is, “Hello, Fun!”

A Big Wheel in the Business World

Prior to founding Pedego, Don spent over 20 years at Wynn’s, rising to become president of the global leader of innovative products and programs for the automotive industry. When Wynn’s was acquired by Parker Hannifin in 2000, he took over as Group President of Parker Hannifin providing strong leadership in a dynamic marketplace. This proved an exceptional foundation for his entrepreneurial ventures that followed.

Don went on to build several of his own successful companies. Starting in 2002, he acquired Zak Products along with a financial partner. The company owned and operated 40 car washes and distributed chemicals and automotive service equipment to franchised car dealerships from Florida to California. During that time, he also co-founded Prism Automotive, a very successful trade magazine publishing company and is the first angel investor in TicketSocket.

A LOVE OF CYCLING

After 30 years in the automotive world, Don started an electric bicycle shop in Newport Beach, California. This was a labor of love. Over time, he developed an interest in electric cycling and tried to find quality electric bikes for his bicycle shop. His frustration with existing suppliers led him to contact his friend and future Pedego partner Terry Sherry and make plans for Pedego. In 2008, the two men co-founded Pedego Electric Bikes, where quality, innovation and customer service are among the top core values of the company.

“Pedego fuses the best in bicycle components with evolving electric technologies to create best in class electric bikes,” he explains. “As we look at how trends are evolving, styles and colors are playing an increasingly important role in the electric bike category. We are establishing Pedego as the best brand of electric bikes throughout the world by combining quality, service and style into awesome electric bicycles.”

Today, Don rides regularly with other Pedego riders, friends, family and co-workers. He enjoys visiting Pedego branded stores around the world and taking part in group rides with the local Pedego owners. As a regular rider, Don can personally attest to the quality and style of all Pedego electric bikes. As the CEO of Pedego, he makes quality, innovation and customer service happen every day. And he makes good on his company’s goals to delight Pedego customers and assist Pedego dealers to be successful.

A Lifetime Love Affair with Bikes

Though he doesn’t recall actually learning how to ride a bike, Terry vividly remembers the sense of freedom he enjoyed while riding as a child. “Every day, I would get up, have breakfast and then get on my bike to visit friends, go to the park, playground, baseball field, and more,” says Terry. “There was only had one rule: Be home for dinner!” Later, he loved teaching each of his three kids how to ride.

Terry’s youthful education on bicycles did not end with riding. Bicycle design and mechanics were central throughout his childhood and into adulthood. “As a kid, I was always tinkering with my bike. After all, it was my prized possession,” he says. When he was around 10 years old, his father took him to garage sales to buy junk bikes for $5 each. Then, he would take them apart and rebuild a good bike from the parts and sell the new one for $30 to $60. “I learned so much about bikes,” he says with a laugh. “Who knew that all of that would come in handy 40 years later?”

A LIFETIME FRIENDSHIP

He met Don DiCostanzo in August, 1975, when they both attended the first meeting for a pledge class at Cal State University, Fullerton. That night, the first order of business was to pick a pledge class president which was no easy task in a roomful of 21 potential leaders who also happened to be strangers. Terry and Don both wanted to be the president, so they walked outside to talk about it. They made a deal that Don would support Terry as pledge class president that night … if Terry would support him later when he ran for fraternity president. They agreed and have been friends ever since. Over the past 40 years, they served as best man at each other’s weddings.

He first encountered electric bikes when he was seeking a unique and special Christmas gift for his wife after more than 20 years of marriage. They lived in the hills of Orange, California, which had proven difficult for riding. They often rode their standard pedal bikes down the hill to the bagel shop for Saturday morning coffee. Riding home, uphill, left them sweaty and exhausted – even when they walked the bikes up the hill to return home. Then they discovered how electric bikes flatten hills and make headwinds a breeze. On their Pedego bikes, they now enjoy cycling around with the confidence that they can ride home at the end of the adventure.

The Business of Pedego

For 15 years out of college, Terry worked in the mortgage banking industry. He then started a sales and marketing company that catered to the automotive field and proved his talents in the entrepreneurial arena. That company is still operating. Ten years ago, Terry was approached by Don with the idea of starting a magazine for the automotive industry, and together they ran Fixed Ops Magazine, which is now celebrating its 10-year anniversary and going strong.

One day, Don invited him to lunch, and together they wrote — on the back of a napkin — the plans for what eventually would become Pedego. For several reasons, Terry decided to follow those plans and co-found the company. His deep friendship with Don and the fact that he loves to work on startup companies were major factors. Plus, he was ready to try something new and exciting. The biggest reason though was that he owned a couple of electric bikes and understood the possibilities. “I knew first-hand how such a simple machine could bring back such positive memories of when I used to ride bikes as a kid,” he explains. He realized that many people could benefit from an electric bike. On that napkin, Don and Terry decided their electric bike company would commit to a promise of quality, innovation and customer service that put customers first. It’s a business that grew out of friendship and love – the dawn of a company that was destined to create many happy Pedego fans!

HISTORY

Getting Ready to Ride

In 2007, Don DiCostanzo was busy with several successful business ventures. But he wasn’t too busy for a labor of love: Opening a bicycle shop named Zclipse in Newport Beach, California. Don, along with his customers, enjoyed cruising along the beautiful Southern California Coast. Eventually, though, he noticed that the headwinds were strong and that some hills ruined the fun. Out of these challenges, he developed an interest in electric cycling — for personal use and in his shop.
Meanwhile, Don’s friend Terry Sherry was trying to enjoy weekend rides a few miles inland with his wife, and they both grew tired of the hills in their neighborhood. After arriving home sweaty and exhausted from a breakfast ride, they turned to electric bikes as a solution.

When Don tried to find quality electric bicycles for his shop, he ran into roadblocks. Quality and service were not what he had imagined. Don’s frustration with existing suppliers eventually led him to contact Terry to discuss a great idea. In November of 2008, the two met for dinner and — as the cliché goes — planned their approach to an electric bicycle business on the back of a napkin. They agreed that their company would enjoy core values that place quality, innovation and customer service at the top of the list
They knew that an electric bike company following such values would quickly outpace any competition. They would delight customers of all ages with their electric bicycles and customer care. And they knew their company would be a hit. With this plan in mind, the two men co-founded Pedego Electric Bikes.

THE STARTING LINE

The company opened its doors in December 2008, setting up shop in a 1,500 square-foot location on Daimler Street in Irvine, California. Pedego quickly outgrew that site and moved to a site on Peters Canyon Road in Irvine. This new location doubled their workspace to 3,000 square feet. In April 2010, their third location on Gillette Avenue, Irvine, doubled their space, again, to 6,000 square feet. In March 2012, the company moved to its current 16,000 square foot space on Langley Avenue in Irvine.

A WINNING TEAM

This growth has come out of another Pedego core value, that of supporting their Pedego dealers. From the start, Don and Terry created a company that would focus on supporting dealers as they introduce these world-class electric bicycles into their communities. Their efforts have succeeded, and today Pedego branded stores are thriving across the USA and in more than 40 countries around the world. It has a lot to do with feelings. The bikes help every rider feel like a kid again, and the Pedego support helps dealers feel like they’ve joined a big, happy family.

Indeed, just like Don and Terry, many Pedego dealers started as customers themselves. They understand what electric bikes can offer, and they love having fun. Like their dealers, Don and Terry can attest to the quality and style of all Pedego electric bikes. “We have established Pedego as the best brand of electric bikes throughout the world,” says Don. “And we’ve done it by combining quality, service and style into awesome electric bicycles.”